freemount problems

When freemounting try looking forward instead of down. Its another way
to try it. Other than that its just practice. I'm trying to ride
backwards and the progression is longer than when I first tried
unicycling.

Practice Practice practice!

Don't ferget to try kiteboarding

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Don't roll back, use your foot to keep the wheel still and jump up onto
the uni as opposed to rolling the uni back under you. I found it alot
easier anyway.

--
GoldCoastUni
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In general, I recommend learning the static mount (no rollback) anyway,
as it is applicable in more situations for the future. (MUni and big
wheel riding are both much easier with static mounts).

If you want to learn the rollback, most people start with their
dominant foot on the pedal. The key for the rollback is that the wheel
comes under you at the same time as you jump forward, and as you jump
up, you smack the other pedal backwards with your free foot.

For the static mount, again, most people start with their dominant foot
on the pedal (although I learned it the other way). You have to jump
up pretty high without putting much weight on the foot on the pedal;
it's not absolutely zero weight, because your jump will push the
unicycle forward. The amount of weight you put on the pedal is just
enough to counteract the force of your body pushing the unicycle
forward. Some people find it easier to think about keeping your leg
and knee in a locked position, rather than thinking about the weight on
the pedal.

For either mount, the more quickly you can get your second foot on the
pedal, the better.

And, of course, lots of practice. When I was first learning, I found
it impossible, and I gave up for a month or so. Getting more practice
riding around pedestrians helped my freemounting, as I had to learn to
be more comfortable on the unicycle when I was moving slowly.

--
tholub
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GoldCoastUni said:

Don't roll back, use your foot to keep the wheel still and jump up onto
the uni as opposed to rolling the uni back under you. I found it alot
easier anyway.

I would agree here.. having just taught both my kids to freemount, they
were getting nowhere fast as long as they kept doing a rollback. I
just told them to try to keep the wheel still and use their ground foot
to sorta push them up on the uni more than using the pedal foot to move
the uni under them. They learned pretty quick after that.

--
Racenut
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Here's a copy of my version: (previously posted in another thread)

(One of the many suggestions you'll get...)

I learned to freemount using a 12 inch piece of 2x4. I would lay it
down on the ground and bring the back of my wheel up against it. The
trick was learning how to get up onto the uni without having the wheel
roll backwards over the block. Too much weight (which I have a lot of)
and the wheel rolls over. Just the right amount of pressure and you're
up and moving. After you get the hang of mounting using the block, try
it without it. If you still have problems mounting without the block
you can swap the 2x4 for a thinner plank of wood and that will get you
putting even less pressure onto the pedal as you mount. You'll wean
yourself off the block pretty quick. I found that this technique helped
me learn how much weight on the pedal was too much and how much was
just right.

Hope it works for you. Good Luck

--
Trapper
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Take breaks (like 1 week for a break) between learning! You'll come back
and suddenly it will be much easier than before. At least, that's what
happened to me. I'm up to ~95% success on my 29'er.

--
SNES350
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Lower your seat about 2 " from normal, and you can also try using a long
rail. That way you don't have to walk back to that exact spot
everytime. Many more attempts per hour.

--
skilewis74
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I first learned the Static mount as well. Having a moving wheel like the
roll back mount was just adding too much complexity.

I make sure that the back pedal is at about 8 o'clock and had my
dominate foot on it.
The important thing is to have enought weight on that pedal without
making the wheel move. You need to have weight on the seat as well.
Theres a balance between having weight on the seat and on the dominant
foot.

Then I push of my non-dominant foot and push my body forward. The wheel
shouldn't move as you only have sufficient weight on the dominate foot
to not move the wheel.

If you are not getting high enough in the push, you need to push
alittle harder.

I learned to free mount in about a week. It was frustrating but I
forced myself to learn to freemount instead of relying on the wall.

As everyone says, the more you practice the easier it will get.

Ben

--
Jamin
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If you're having trouble mounting for free, you may pay me to mount.

--
harper

-Greg Harper

B L U E S H I F T

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This is all good advice and I'm having real trouble with the static
mount too. Can't seem to get the uni to stay still and the wheel keeps
rolling back when I try to mount. I'll use some of the advice on this
thread though. Thanks guys. 😄

--
Pauly

feel the fear......*and do it anyway!*
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Jamin said:

If you are not getting high enough in the push, you need to push
alittle harder.

for learning direct mount:
a trick that do wonders (courtesy of John a member of our Muni group).
first perform a sery of pushes without trying to start or even putting
you other foot on the pedal. you just start with gentle pushes and try
to keep your balance without the forward foot sitting on your pedal
doing any push.
try to do it slowly, with pushes that get you higher and higher, then
when sufficiently high put your other foot on the forward pedal and
start.
at that moment your body should be sufficiently forward (otherwise
you'll put your foot on the pedal but you won't start rolling).
with that training I have seen a member of our group learn direct mount
in just 15 minutes!
hope this helps

--
wobbling bear

One Wheel : bear necessity
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Pauly said:

This is all good advice and I'm having real trouble with the static
mount too. Can't seem to get the uni to stay still and the wheel keeps
rolling back when I try to mount. I'll use some of the advice on this
thread though. Thanks guys. 😄

This may help:

Try rolling the unicycle forward a little (maybe 1/8 of a turn) and
get you body moving forward just before you step on the pedal. Your
momentum will act opposite the tendency for the wheel to roll back
and, if you do it right, the unicycle will come to a complete stop as
you sit on the saddle. Wait another fraction of a second for your
momentum to carry you over top, then start pedalling.

In any case, sufficient practice practically guarantees success. Keep
at it.

Ken

practice... and then repeat. then practice some more.

I also took a hiatus from trying to freemount for about three weeks...
I just mailbox mounted for three weeks and didnt even think about it.

then it was waaay easier when I tried doing it again. get comfortable
on the uni first, and i think it might help.

with the rollback mount, it helped me to have the pedal at a 45 degree
andle to the ground, as opposed to perpendicular. everyone's different
(and so is their unicycles...

--
Sgaterboy
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Tips for freemounting can also be found in the "Learning to Unicycle"
download from http://www.xs4all.nl/~klaasbil/uni_beginners.htm

Pauly said:

This is all good advice and I'm having real trouble with the static
mount too. Can't seem to get the uni to stay still and the wheel keeps
rolling back when I try to mount. I'll use some of the advice on this
thread though. Thanks guys. 😄

You're pushing too hard with your foot, you need to think of it more as
a quick jumping motion.

--
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Thanks for the replies. I'll keep at it. 😄

--
Pauly

feel the fear......*and do it anyway!*
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the first freemount i pulled off was the jump mount. it was the only one
i could get and was much, much easier than the standard freemount.

it also looked cooler.

but good luck, just keep trying.

--
iridemymuni

munipsycho said:

Just a bit of advice: never vomit while wearing a full-face helmet.

guess what !

'Bike Coalition!!' (www.bikecoalition.com)
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Try stepping up on two or three steps slowly and notice how you bend
your back and swing your arms forward to gain momentum. Now think about
that movement and transpose it to the unicycle. Try leaning foreward
over the unicycle; slowly, arms extended to front, that you almost fall
over the front of the unicycle before you step off /hop with whatever
foot is grounded. This seems to get the center of gravity foreward as
the unicycle comes to the vertical and helps find that split second of
balance needed for the grounded foot to settle on the peddle and push
down.

--
tumblebug rollin
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I was having trouble with free-mounting too, then got it almost
immediately after this tip -- the key is the "jump" to get your second
foot onto the pedals, and the tip is to imagine a good friend
sun-bathing in front of you, and that your first foot is on top of your
friend's stomach, and you are going to jump over them with your second
foot. So your first foot stays on their stomach, but with very little
weight on it, while your second foot does the jumping.

Well, it worked for me. Good luck!

--
yoyo
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